For some race drivers, the difference between hero status and historical footnote has been determined by surprises ranging from undetected puddles to unruly spectators. On March 1, 1959, a rare combination of those conditions conspired against Tony Waters in the most-talked-about event of organized drag racing’s first decade: the inaugural U.S. Fuel and Gas Championships presented by Tony’s club, Smokers Inc., in nitro-burning defiance of the infamous fuel ban (1957–1963).

While Bakersfield’s “March Meet” was conceived to lure Don Garlits west for a California-sized spanking, that first-round loser had blown both of his unblown Chryslers and was standing among an overflow crowd that literally lined both lanes for this A/Fuel Modified Roadster’s post-sunset showdown with Art Chrisman’s highly favored “Hustler I” dragster, the West’s first 180-mph car. Unbeknownst to anyone, Chrisman had found main-bearing damage between rounds and planned to stage, launch softly, and shut off once the cause was lost. His only hope was for a red-flag start by a slower opponent.

The Hemi-powered T left right on time and opened up such an early lead that Art was reaching for his kill switch when Waters drove over some liquid, veered hard to the outside, then intentionally spun out to miss spectators leaning in to see. Art idled past for his biggest, luckiest, slowest, and admittedly scariest win ever (“At the finish line, it looked like I was driving into a dark tunnel of people”). He often speculated that a harder run with what proved to be a cracked crankshaft could’ve been catastrophic for himself, for countless bystanders, and for the March Meet itself, which celebrates its 60th anniversary March 7–10, 2019, at Famoso Raceway.